Browsing Theses and Dissertations by Duke Department "Genetics and Genomics"

<p>Gustation, also known as taste perception, is critical for the survival of most animal species. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster employs 68 different gustatory receptors (GRs) for the detection of sugars, bitter ...

<p>Establishing an axis of cell polarity is central to cell motility, tissue morphogenesis, and cell proliferation. A highly conserved group of polarity regulators is responsible for organizing a wide variety of polarized ...

<p>Copper is an essential trace element required by all aerobic organisms as a co-factor for enzymes involved in normal growth, development and physiology. Ctr1 proteins are members of a highly conserved family of copper ...

<p>The cell division cycle is the process in which the entirety of a cell's contents is duplicated completely and then equally segregated into two identical daughter cells. The order of the steps in the cell cycle must be ...

<p>HDV antigenomic RNA is processed in two distinct pathways; it can be cleaved at the polyA site and polyadenylated to become mRNA for the delta antigens, or the RNA can be cleaved by the antigenomic ribozyme to become ...

<p>The visual system in humans provides the ability to interpret our surroundings from many distances. This complex system serves as a powerful sense which can drastically impact the quality of life when threatened or ...

<p><italic>Cryptococcus neoformans </italic>is a human fungal pathogen that is also ubiquitous in the environment. To cause disease inside a human host, <italic>C. neoformans</italic> must be able to sense and respond to ...

<p><italic>Drosophila</italic> larvae respond to potentially tissue-damaging stimuli with nocifensive escape locomotion (NEL). NEL is a stereotyped withdrawal behavior in which the larva rotates along its long-body axis ...

<p>Stroke is the leading cause of morbidity and the third leading cause of death in the United States. Over 80% of strokes are ischemic in nature, produced by a thrombus occluding the cerebral circulation. Currently, there ...

Thrombosis is initiated by platelets and leads to cardio-, cerebro-, and peripheral vascular disease, the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the western world. Antiplatelet drugs have improved clinical outcomes ...

<p>Thrombosis, or pathological blood clot formation, is intimately associated with cardiovascular disease and is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the western world. Antithrombotics are commonly prescribed ...

<p>Expression of mutant M.EcoRII protein (M.EcoRII-C186A) in Escherichia coli leads to tightly bound DNA-protein complexes (TBCs), located sporadically on the chromosome rather than in tandem arrays. The mechanisms behind ...

Discrimination between edible and contaminated foods is crucial for the survival of animals. In Drosophila, a family of gustatory receptors (GRs) expressed in taste neurons is thought to mediate the recognition of sugars ...

<p>Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) is a complex, late-onset disorder that is a frequent indication for corneal transplantation and affects women more frequently than men. Although linkage and association studies ...

<p>Low-dose ionizing radiation (LDIR) exposure (under 10.0 centigray (cGy)) from man-made sources, such as diagnostic imaging, predominates in the US population and comprises nearly 50% of an average individual's yearly ...

<p>The centromere is essential for chromosome segregation and genome stability. It is the site of kinetochore assembly and chromosome attachment to the spindle microtubules, and it is important for chromosome movement ...

<p>A blood draw is one of the most readily accessible, commonly practiced medical procedures with biomarker utility. In particular, transcriptome signatures of blood cells provide valuable insights into the developmental ...

<p>Hydrogen peroxide is used by animals and plants to deter the growth of microbial invaders by inflicting DNA lesions, protein oxidation and lipid membrane modifications. Pathogens protect themselves with enzymes and ...